We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shandrea Daniel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shandrea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
A school can be closed at anytime in the charter school world. As a school leader the biggest goal is to ensure the school stays open. I have had several instances where the school community had to fight to keep the school open. Continuing to keep teachers coming to work and families staying invested during the un-nerving time takes a lot of planning, strategy and hope. A leader always has to keep a solid foundation and be the smile to keep the motivation and courage to continue the fight on a consistent basis. A leader has to be the face of the school rather it’s doing well or not and in renewal time a school can face unintentional consequences going through a renewal process. The process is long and tedious and takes valuable staff away from doing what is needed for the school setting to focus on large reports and school visits with their authorizers. There is an audacity of hope and confidence but a lot of leaders do not know what will happen. They can predict, they can navigate the political climate of a school board exceptionally well, they can have great data and sometimes the chips do not fall where it’s planned. The amount of pressure is similar to trying to attain an Olympic Gold Medal, or saving a family from a burning house, or the victory of winning Super Bowl if successful. Leaders lose sleep, age egregiously, and can become unhinged if self-care is not at the forefront. I have experienced all of this on multiple occasions and I can say when families, students, and staff/teachers come together, we dominate the outcome by giving our best, testifying to the importance of the school, and working together to build the momentum needed to keep the school open and thriving. It’s one of the hardest aspects of being a school leader and at the same time most rewarding. A lot of leaders don’t get to share their experiences until hindsight but just know we want to.
Shandrea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Shandrea Daniel is deeply committed to advancing communities through education, economics, advocacy, public service, and social justice. Her mission is to uplift underserved neighborhoods by fostering redevelopment, educational access, outreach, and racial equity, ensuring that all constituents can thrive and enjoy the fundamental rights and opportunities this country was built upon. Recently, she served as an Interim Regional Superintendent for a K-12 charter school in Las Vegas, where she enhanced state testing performance in English Language Arts and Math, developed school leaders to improve student outcomes, led monthly professional development for over 90 staff members, initiated a Dual Enrollment Program, and taught in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Hospitality department for high school students. Shandrea’s diverse career includes roles as a Teacher, Coach, Dean of Culture, Principal, and Director of Outreach at STEAM schools in California and a charter school in Nevada. Earlier in her career, she worked in event logistics and community engagement with renowned organizations such as The Los Angeles Clippers, The Los Angeles Rams, MGM Resorts International, and Mayweather Promotions. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Management at Hampton University. In her role as the Educational Committee Chair with the NAACP, Shandrea aims to enhance educational access and deliver programs that support all stakeholders—educators, students, and families—with equity, dignity, and integrity, while fostering collaboration within the Las Vegas community.
Originally from Southern California, Shandrea has dedicated her life to educational justice and activism, particularly in addressing racial inequity. As President of her high school’s Black Student Union, she gained valuable advocacy experience and worked to improve access to advanced placement courses and college counseling for Black students. Beginning her career in 1998 as a summer camp counselor, Shandrea progressed to roles as an at-risk youth counselor and teacher in underserved communities. Her passion for teaching and advocacy led her to support the establishment of Black Student Union chapters in charter schools across California and Nevada, including Canyon Springs and Democracy Prep at The Agassi Campus. Shandrea has worked tirelessly to ensure equitable access to charter schools, built over 50 partnerships with community members and businesses to enhance school resources, and supported schools in combating closures by large districts like LAUSD. She has been a consultant and led research projects focused on amplifying the voices of Black educators and students in California and plans to continue this work in Nevada. Her unwavering commitment is to eliminate disparities in expectations and academic outcomes and to drive meaningful change in the education system.
Please continue reading to review her qualifications and partnerships that maybe familiar to you:
-18 years of experience as an Educationalist (Magnolia Science Academy 1 & 3, CCSD, Democracy Prep Public Schools)-Student Outcomes, Professional Development, Curriculum & Instruction, Leadership, Enrollment, Operations, Finance/Budgeting, Authorizers, Parent Engagement, Marketing, Activities & Fundraising.
-10 years Sports & Game Entertainment, Events, Marketing, Decor, Food & Beverage, Human Resources Community Relations, Partnerships & Development (Los Angeles Clippers, MGM Resorts, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation, Mayweather Promotions, Kuoni Destination Management, The Westin Poinsett, Target).
-5 years of Diversity & Inclusion, Non-Profit Fundraising, Event Management, Employee Relations
Events (MGM Resorts Foundation).
-Full clear credential Social Studies within Nevada and California (renewable)
-Administration credential in California.
-Assisted with and managed budgets from $500,000 to $16M.
-Master’s degree in Hospitality Administration with a specialization in meetings and events; graduated in 2010
-Masters in Educational Leadership from National University; graduated in 2020.
-Currently enrolled in Educational Management PhD program at Hampton University, expected graduation in 2026
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Living in fear would not provide the outcome you truly want. Having the courage to be bold and question injustice, analyze out loud what is wrong or unfair can change your employment real quick. I respectfully communicated perspective on a life altering business decision by a former employer. When I disagreed with the plan, I was shut out, micromanaged, macroagressed and ostracized to say the least. The line in the sand was drawn when I wouldn’t take the fall for a detrimental mistake. The lesson was that I always was a team player 99.5% of the time. I did not challenge, question and played the game well to promote but when I thought my opinion would matter (.5%), I was shut out but I felt so free being a advocate for the betterment of children that now I know my perspective is valuable, and fear will never let my abilities to help children be silenced again.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
As a coach, mentor, and strategist for organizations the best source is having my work speak for me and referrals are key. People typically recommend me for opportunities and I always seize the moment.
